Peer Pressure

 

At the climax of a graduating commencement ceremony in a certain Bible Institute in India, the entire graduation class rises to commit themselves to the Lord’s work with these words: “Today, I stand as a dead man. I declare that in Jesus Crist, I am saved by His blood, and thus I am dead to sin, and no longer dead in my sin. Today, I stand and declare that I surrender my will and my life to His will and His life. I shall go where He sends me, without asking questions. I shall go to whomever He sends me, without seeking fame. I shall preach to everyone, even if they hate me. I am an ambassador of the Cross and must deliver the message. I shall pour my life out to reach my family, my friends, my neighbors, and my city. I embrace the shame of the Cross, and I fear nothing but God. I welcome suffering, shame, persecution, beatings, imprisonment and death, but I will not be silenced. If I am killed, I pray that my blood should be a harvest for souls. This is my city. I dare not do less.” Following graduation, each student is given three items. 1. A new Bible. 2. A new Bicycle. 3. A one-way train ticket to their field of service. There is no Plan B, and neither should any Christian have such.

When the phrase “Peer Pressure” is mentioned, our minds often jump to scenes in a school yard where a group of bullies are tempting young children to try drugs for the first time. Unfortunately, peer pressure is still prominent in college and even in the professional world. People, whether explicitly or implicitly, always seem to influence the decisions we make – for good or ill.

[Genesis 6:8] “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” This favor that Noah found in God’s eyes made a big change on the earth and the human race. About 5000 years ago, Noah and his family lived in the midst of an estimated one billion evil, violent, corrupt people. Mothers – think of hard it would be to raise a family. Mrs. Noah evidently supported her husband as he preached to those evil neighbors. The ark he was building was as long as one-and-a-half football fields and one-hundred miles from the nearest large body of water. Mothers – imagine the abuse and laughter that this family endured. But even in this dark time of human history, Mrs. Noah’s sons found wives. Give credit to this family for having the patience to endure and strived to teach God’s will for 100-years. Noah’s primitive tools made work very slow. To tell him to “hurry-up” would have been very foolish. Do you suppose Mrs. Noah heard her children say, “Nobody else does this. Why do we have to be different?” and “Is daddy nearly finished?” Noah and his wife set the example for all fathers and mothers. They accomplished their greatest responsibility by seeing that their family was saved from the impending disaster God warned about.

Peter most certainly understood this influence on decisions of integrity and belief when he wrote 1 Peter to the Christians scattered about Asia Minor. While the direct cause of suffering is still debated it seems most likely the Christians Peter was addressing were suffering from social pressures, or “peer pressure”. They were being “persecuted” because they didn’t participate in the same things as other Roman citizens or worship the pantheon of gods in Roman religion. (1 Peter 4:1-6) “…they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.”

So, whether in your workplace, school, church, family, or vacation – remember that we must not succumb to peer pressure that leads us away from Christ. For Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Amen!!

Answer The Call

 

One night a teenage girl brought her new boyfriend home to meet her parents, and they were appalled by his appearance: leath­er jacket, motorcycle boots, tattoos, and a pierced nose. Later, the parents pulled their daughter aside and confessed their concern. “Dear,” said the mother diplomatically, “he doesn’t seem very nice.” “Oh please, Mom,” replied the daughter, “if he wasn’t nice, why would he be doing 500 hours of community service?”

Hulk Hogan, the famous wrestling star, missed a call from his agent about a possible endorsement deal. Now the story has shifted over the years, but basically, his agent had set up some potential sponsorship on some kitchen items. These companies felt a celebrity name on their product could rocket them to success. Hulk favored a meatball maker, but the agent had another product in mind. So, he rang up Hogan, but he never answered. The agent moved on to his next client to see if he wanted to put his name on a personal grilling machine. That client, ex-boxer George Forman, took the call and the offer. Over 100 million George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machines have been sold worldwide. It is estimated that Forman has made over 500 million dollars from that deal, more than he made in his entire boxing career. I bet the Hulk wishes he had answered his phone.

A merchant sat at his desk, and all around him were letters, bills and other evidence that he was much absorbed in the details of his business. A gospel preacher entered his office and said, “I have come to you to try to interest you in a matter of great importance. I would like to talk to you about the destiny of your soul, and the gospel of Christ.”

“Sorry, not now. You must excuse me preacher,” said the merchant. “I am very busy,” was his reply. The preacher excused himself and with a sad and heavy heart, left. The merchant turned again to his papers.

Just a few days after this incident, a dis­agreeable stranger stepped into the mer­chant’s office and laid a cold moist hand upon his brow and said, “Come home with me,” and the merchant laid down his pen and closed his books and went home. He felt diz­zy, faint and sick. A cold chill settled on the merchant’s heart, specters of ships, notes, ledgers, houses and lands flitted through his excited brain. His pulse beat slower; his heart heaved, a thick film gathered over his eyes; his tongue refused to speak, and death’s clammy damp­ness was on his brow. He knew the name of the strange visitor was “Death.” He was too busy to attend to spiritu­al matters and the salvation of his soul, but he wasn’t too busy to die.

We don’t always see an opportunity for what it is. What may change our life might be seen initially as an annoyance or a hassle. We have different ideas about what is best. Yet later we can see how an opportunity slipped away.

[James 4: 13-14] God warns, “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit,’ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.’”

Right now, you have an opportunity to change your life for the better. You have access to ‘the unsearchable riches of Christ’ (Ephesians 3:8). He wants to put his name on YOU! (1 John 3:1-3). The Gospel call is ringing out to all of us (Romans 1:16-17; Acts 2:38-39). How are you going to respond? Ignore the call? Choose something else that won’t be as valuable? Or do you take the offer that grants far more than you ever hope to have in this life?

“…now is the accepted time; …now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

Well Known Roads

 

As the stranger enters the country store, he spots a sign: “Danger! Beware of Dog!” Down one aisle he spots a harmless old hound asleep in the middle of the floor. “Is that the dog we’re supposed to be aware of?” he asked the store owner. “That’s him,” comes the reply in an old slow southern drawl. “Well, he doesn’t look dangerous to me. Why would you post that sign for such a harmless old dog?” The store owner looked down at his beloved dog, then up at the stranger and said, “It’s more for the safety of the dog than the people. Before I posted that sign, folks kept tripping over him.”

One blade at a time. That’s how the last remaining Inca rope bridge is rebuilt every year. The Q´eswackaka bridge spans the Apurimac River in the Cusco region of Peru. For 600 years, communities from both sides of the bridge have been assembling to cut down the old bridge and rebuild with a new one – totally out of local Ichu grass. Women of all ages participate in the gathering of the grass and using it to brad into ropes, which the men of the communities will take and twist into strong cables. The braver of the men will use the cables to build a strong enough bridge to support travelers across the gorge for the next year. The total process of bridging the gap takes only three days, and the completion of the bridge requires total cooperation from both sides of the gorge.

This world is full of roads that may remind us of, or symbolize, many things. Perhaps the mention of “The Yellow Brick Road” brings to mind the exciting adventure to see the “Wizard of Oz.” “Abbey Road” will remind some of the Beatles. The “Burma Road” will remind a much older generation of a 717-mile-long road through mountainous country of China that was built by 200,000 Chinese laborers from 1937 to 1938 and later used by the British to transport war material during World War II.

Then there are roads noted in the Scriptures. The “Jericho Road” mentioned by Jesus in the parable of the “Good Samaritan” that might symbolize a ROAD TO SERVICE (Luke 10:33-35). The “Road to Gaza” where Philip met up with the Ethiopian treasurer might be noted as a ROAD TO DISCOVERY as Philip helped this man understand the One of whom Isaiah wrote was Jesus, the Messiah (Acts 9:1-8, 17-18). Then there was “The Road to Emmaus” on which Jesus walked with two disciples who were pondering the Lord’s death, burial, and the report of an empty tomb (Luke 24:13-35). Perhaps that road could be called “THE ROAD FROM SORROWING TO SEEING”.

[Matthew 7:13-14] “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” What makes roads significant and memorable is what occurs on them and to where they lead. On what road are you traveling throughout this life? Is it a well-traveled highway or faint path less traveled. What is occurring along the way? Where is it ultimately leading?

Jesus implied the choice boils down to two ways leading in opposite directions. One road leads to disappointment and death (spiritually), while the other to hope and Heaven (spiritual everlasting life). Though the road on which we would follow the Lord may be difficult at times, it will be worth the challenges, since it is the one leading to everlasting life in Heaven with God. (Jeremiah 6:16) “Thus says the Lord: ‘Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls…’” Though it may not be a well-worn path of the many, keeping our eyes on Jesus who is “THE WAY” (John 14:6), we won’t get lost on THE KING’S HIGHWAY.

Feeling A Debt To Sinners

 

A $1 bill met an old friend, the $20 bill, and said, “Hey, what’s up? I haven’t seen you around here lately.” The $20 bill said, “I’ve been hanging out at the casinos, went a cruise, saw a couple of baseball games, that kind of thing. How about you?” The dollar bill said, “Oh, you know, the same old thing; church, church, church.”

What would you think of a person who was deeply in debt to someone else and all the time this person had the ability to pay off the debt but didn’t? What if the person to whom the money was owed was naïve, poor, and ignorant, so that the debtor could avoid paying off the debt? What would your opinion be of the debtor? You would probably be outraged of the lack of moral integrity, would you not?

During the Civil Wars in England a man on the Isle of Man was accused of treason and sentenced to death. The king eventually granted him a pardon. The pardon fell into the hands of a bitter enemy of the condemned man, and it was never delivered to the jailer. The man from the Isle of Man was executed. What do you think of someone who possesses a pardon which could have saved another person’s life, but he fails to deliver it, whether intentionally or by neglect? Again, would you not be outraged at the insensitivity and inhumanity of this person?

The story is told of a man who carried a small can of oil with him everywhere he went. If he passed through a door that squeaked, he’d put a drop or two of oil on the hinges, and if a gate were too hard to open, he’d oil the latch. So, he passed through life lubricating all the squeaky places, making it a little more pleasant for those who followed him. There is no telling how many lives you and I could keep from rusting and squeaking and how many gates we could open to happiness, if only we would apply a little oil of human kindness and brotherly love to those we encounter throughout our day. Let us use it wherever we go, for there are many lives hardened and rusting away in sin.

[Romans 1:14-15] The apostle Paul wrote, “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and unwise. So as much is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.” Paul said that he was a debtor to the people of the world. Of course, Paul was in debt to God for His marvelous grace. Paul was in debt to Jesus Christ for His substitution sacrifice of atonement at Calvary. Why should Paul feel a debt to the sinners of the world - most of them he never met, many of whom were his enemies? Paul felt the obligation because God called him to be an apostle. Paul was “separated to the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1). Paul possessed the payment to save others from spiritual bankruptcy. He possesses the pardon from the King to save them from being executed. He had the gospel, the good news of Jesus. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” (Romans 1:16).

We possess this very same gospel today which has the identical saving power as it did in the first century. The needs of people today for salvation are just as pressing as those of Paul’s world were. Should we not feel the same debt of obligation to others to share the good news of Jesus Christ?

“It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength; and whosoever loves much, can accomplish much; and what is done in love is well done” Vincent Van Gogh.

“Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, cause hate in your heart will consume you too” Will Smith.

Having A Kind Of Godliness

 

In the woird we lvie in tehre are tihngs thai smoetiems jsut dno’t seem rihgt. Tehre are otehr teems when things are blatantly wrnog, and stcik out lkie a sroe thmub. Hvae you eevre ntoiecd that wehn you are porof redaing soemthnig taht you hvae written, taht yuor eye deos not cacth an erorr? Geiv it 10 somoene else to raed and tehy sopt it rihgt aawy. Why is tihs? Colud it be taht we are too colse to the sitaution?

Okay, enough with the fun. However, I hope you do see what I’m trying to convey with the overemphasizing of the misspellings.

It’s widespread practice for most states to issue examines to high school students who are nearing graduation. These pupils are given more than one chance to pass this test before they can participate in a graduation ceremony. Are some students passing along just because administrators do not know what else to do with them? Perhaps some children don’t understand what it means to have structure, yet they expect to perform miracles at the eleventh hour, so to speak. A test of a child’s knowledge is based on how much they have learned and how well they retain the information fed to them by teachers and textbook data. Their future hinges upon whether or not they go to college based on their test results.

Likewise, teachers are given competency tests and are given more than one chance to pass, and with an overall passing score they may become certified to teach. Prospective teachers are evaluated for their knowledge, which is based on how much they remember and how well prepared they are to instruct our children. Teachers must pass the tests because their future depends upon their dream job. Some students cannot pass the exams and ironically some teachers cannot pass their exams – this is an enigmatic problem.

[Acts 17:22-23] … “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an alter with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD…”

In any sizeable community one will find the building of various denominational groups. Nearly all professing a different doctrine from the other. The apostle Paul noticed something similar in Athens. Now, if I’m looking at this in a logical way, I would say that not all the denominations can be right in their doctrine. Something is wrong somewhere. Most of them, I will admit, have a form of Godliness, just like the misspellings above. There is enough of the words spelled correctly (their teaching) that one can make it out, yet they are not totally truthful and correct. In John 4:23-24, Jesus reminds us that God is Spirit and said that true worshippers must worship Him in spirit and in truth. This is a command to the believer. How do we know if we are true worshippers – the kind that God wants? The answer is really simple – by studying. God wants His people to know the Scriptures. 2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

“When We All Get To Heaven” makes me think of death as a graduation ceremony. Like a classroom, we already know that we will have an exit exam. John 12:44-50 plainly states that God will examine us in the end by His every word and our belief in Him.

Did I do my part to help others? Was I courteous even when I wasn’t in the mood? Did I honor my responsibility to the church? Did I respect the rights of others? Did I make righteous choices? This is one exam that we don’t get to retake until we receive a passing grade. Are you sure you’ve been taught the truth? Can you say unequivocally you are worshipping God the way He wants to be worshipped? 1 John 5:13 – Eternal life awaits.